Chapter 7: Second Clash
-Dream-
Sophia Brave curiously observed the girl her parents had just introduced to her. She is of similar age as her. The girl has silvery blonde hair, a trait shared by the Shijou family her clan is very close with. She has cyan eyes that looks a little mean and her face is the cute kind. She was around eight years old then. Their parents left them together to get to know each other. A Shijou works together with a Brave and vice versa. That has been how their families work for as long as they can remember.
"Hi, I'm Sophia Brave!"
Sophia cheerfully introduced herself. The other girl looks nervous but took the hand she offered and did her own introduction.
"Shijou… Momoka."
Two very different girls. One very vibrant and filled with life, the other gloomy and prefer to stay in the shadow. How could they work together like their predecessors did? They are just too different from each other. Their families worry.
But the worries became unfounded when in the span of one year Sophia Brave broke Shijou Momoka out of her shell.
The once shy girl became starts to become a confident magus worthy of a Shijou.
Four years after their meeting, Sophia Brave and Shijou Momoka are inseparable.
The two of them are geniuses of their generation. Shijou Momoka had managed to take in her family magecraft faster than any of her predecessors. Sophia Brave could produce works comparable to an experienced adult Brave. The two families believe them to be their crown jewel.
And they don't disappoint.
By the age of seventeen, Shijou Momoka could extract prana in similar way to Kaleidoscope from the path created by Black Door. By the age of seventeen, Sophia Brave's made one of her ultimate creation, the Mystic Code Night Compass, the weapon that will one day be recognized as the Sorceress Momoka's main Mystic Code. By the age of seventeen, the two teen had surpassed their predecessors.
Five years later, when the two of them was at the age of twenty two, tragedy struck. The Brave and Shijou family had always been in conflict with two other families. The Ryuusenji family and North family. During an experiment, the Ryuusenji heir, Ryuusenji Kazuma, became a Dead Apostle and slaughter his own clan along with the North, taking both family's Crests. He was powerful, another genius who specializes in destruction.
Then he attacked both the Shijou and Brave family when the two clans are having a meeting.
The Brave and Shijou family was slaughtered just like the Ryuusenji and North.
Kazuma was powerful, very powerful. His magecraft involves breaking down matter and converting them into prana. Due to his craft, he could convert anything into his source of power. Shijou Momoka and Sophia Brave were luckily absent during that meeting due to being in Clocktower. Their family was not so fortunate.
The news came only after Kazuma was long gone.
Sophia broke down crying on the shoulder of her sister in all but blood. They have lost their family. Momoka could only stand still in shock as her clothes became wet from Sophia's tears.
"Why… why must this happen, Momo?!"
Sophia cried. Shijou Momoka has no answer. All she could do is to comfort her surrogate sister.
"To be a magus is to walk with death. Their experiment has brought death to our four families. I promise you, Sophia, I will not let this go so easily. I will be the one to bring down Kazuma."
Shijou Momoka swore.
Sophia Brave, one of the most brilliant Magus of her generation and now Servant Caster of the Red faction in the Fifth Holy Grail War of Fuyuki walk down the corridor of the Emiya residence to her Master's room. She knew she will be summoned as a Servant, Momoka made sure of that before she died. Using their genius and some knowledge of the Holy Grail system Momoka made this possible, this one in a million chance miracle. But what Sophia never expected was the fact that that she was summoned by Momoka's son of all people. There are three catalysts needed to specifically summon her. One is Shijou blood. Only a Shijou can summon her as a Servant. Second is location. She can only be summoned in a location deeply connected to her. Their old shared workshop definitely counts. And the last catalyst is what was inside the box Noire found. It was no guarantee but somehow Noire had all the needed catalysts when he did the summoning and thus she was summoned as one of the best Servant with overall stat. Sophia not only gained a boost due to where she was summoned but also the boost from a Grail's prana along with the boost for being summoned by a Shijou. Vlad also received a bloodline boost but not as much as her.
The first reaction she had was of course surprise since she expected to be summoned by Momoka when fifty years have passed in the Fourth Grail War. Instead, she was summoned a decade later than planned during the Fifth War by Momoka's son. She of course immediately recognized his Shijou bloodline and the fact that the Shijou family Crest is in his possession but still. Sophia never expected Momoka to actually marry someone. Then again, people change by time and Momoka is no different.
As for why she wasn't summoned during the Fourth War. Momoka was busy during that time period if what she heard from Noire was right. Even he hadn't seen his mother for more than ten years. So Momoka probably used Noire as proxy. Plus the Fourth War was something she had to note. According to Emiya Kiritsugu, the Grail was tainted and he died due to being touched by the curse the Grail contained. Momoka did come but she arrived at the end of the War and according to Kiritsugu, she was severely weakened at that time and was not in the best condition as if she had fought a monster that managed to almost ripped her to shreds. A monster that could harm a Sorceress at Momoka's level is definitely something to be feared, possibly as powerful or even stronger than Primate Murder.
At least she was strong enough to prepare for the Fifth War and extract Irisviel from the Grail before setting Kiritsugu as a designated Servant just like Sophia. After that though, she disappear. That was what Kiritsugu explained to them yesterday as they go round the places that was once the battlefields of the Fourth Grail War. Of all the battlefields, the site of Fuyuki Fire was the worst. Even Sophia admits that despite the damage done during the Third War was greater, the effect it had on the land was nothing compared to what happened there. The land was cursed.
'Avenger.'
That was what ran through Sophia's mind but she will need some proof to be sure that it was caused by the same Servant back in the Third Heaven's Feel. That's why she didn't say anything as they all stayed in the Emiya estate. At least she didn't lose any sleep from that.
And then her thought turns to Noire. The boy is definitely the spitting image of Momoka. He is what the Sorceress would've looked like if she was born a male and grew past the age of early teen. Honestly, Sophia would've happily married Momoka if she was a male. It's too bad though.
Sophia arrived in front of the guest room given to Noire, Xenovia, and Valerie. Funny thing that. Since when were they so comfortable with each other that they can share a room together? As far as Sophia can see, the three of them act professional with each other. They are friends but she can see nothing more in their relationship. They are good friends but not even close to best friends, especially Noire and Valerie. Those two exchange very little words and that seem so natural that she can't even accuse the blonde Apostle of being shy.
So imagine her surprise at what she found when she slides open the door leading to their room.
Noire sleeping, that was normal. But he's not alone in his futon. The silvery haired young man slept peacefully in his futon while each of his side is occupied by a blonde vampire on one side and a blue headed exorcist on the other.
"What was the phrase, flower in each hand?"
Sophia pull up the blanket that covers the three of them as it was standard procedure to wake up Momoka which she assumes would also work with Noire. Then she got a full view of what the three are like under the cover.
Noire, as expected, is fully clothed properly. The same though cannot be said for Valerie and Xenovia. The Apostle is wearing a somewhat transparent night gown and is clinging to Noire's left side with his hand touching her breast. Valerie is no doubt a beautiful woman and to be in that position with someone like her is a dream-come-true for every hot blooded men with any interest in female body.
Xenovia dresses even lesser. She is only wearing her underwear which definitely shows her sexy figure. Her breast are bigger than Valerie's but not overly big. Like Valerie, Xenovia is holding Noire's right arm close to her chest. Feeling mischievous, Sophia took out the smartphone she bought two months ago and took a picture of the scene for either blackmail material or just to tease Noire.
Sophia Brave will never say pass to anything interesting, especially something like this. Now, time to wake up the kids.
-Night-
Caster stood at the top of the tallest building in Fuyuki as she scans the city using her magecraft. She kept sending a pulse of prana like a sonar to detect the presence of enemies. She started out weak but gradually increase the power of her sonar. She has a range limit though and soon they had to move.
"Hmm?"
"What is it, Caster?"
Archer asked.
"Someone is setting up workshop… on mount Enzo, the Ryuudou temple. No, not a workshop, it's a Temple!"
"A Temple? The enemy Caster!"
"Should we stop them?"
Caster asked as she and Archer turns to Kiritsugu. The man puffed out a smoke from his cigarette before answering.
"Let's leave them for now. Ryuudou temple has natural defense against spiritual entities like us. The only way a Servant can attack is from the front. And if this Caster can create a Temple, he must be very powerful. We cannot stop them with just the three of us."
Answered Kiritsugu. Archer and Caster agree with him. Plus Caster got a bad feeling about the place. They can't attack yet without knowing more about this enemy Caster.
"Wait, I got another reaction. It is in the Fuyuki docks!"
"Archer, can you see them from here?"
Kiritsugu asked. Archer nodded.
"Yes. It's an armored figure much like Saber. Must be another knight so it could be the enemy Saber. Knights are usually put in the Saber class, especially one as fully armored at that."
"I'll go meet with the knight. We'll try to get information or take him out. Be my backup in case something unexpected happen."
Caster told her fellow Servants before astralizing and heading down to the docks.
Caster materialize herself when she arrived at the docks. She walks toward the knight clad in silver and red now in her full robe ready for battle.
"Hoo, I didn't really expect for anyone to come."
Came the knight's voice.
"So, what's your class? I'm Saber of Blue."
The now confirmed Saber materialized a silver sword in his right hand. The knight points his blade at Caster challengingly.
"Caster of Red."
"A Caster? How stupid of you to answer my challenge when your class is not suited for direct battle."
Sophia lips curled up. She then draws a sword from its scabbard, a sword Saber noted he didn't realize was there. It is a single edge straight longsword with somewhat futuristic design compared to weapons he had seen in his life. What he noted the most though is the magic circle carved on the body of the sword between the blade and the hilt.
"That your weapon? Doesn't look much."
"Don't judge a weapon based on its look alone."
And Sophia charged. She dashed forward with speed not befitting of her class which surprised Saber of Blue. With all her physical might, Sophia swung down her sword with both hands. Saber who was momentarily caught in surprise lifted his sword and block the incoming strike. Again, Saber was surprised when she felt the weight of Caster's attack. The Servant of Sword did not expect such speed and power from a Caster.
"You… are you actually a Saber?!"
"Ufufu, don't underestimate a Caster, Servant of Sword."
Suddenly a number of flaming daggers appear all around Saber. On Sophia's command, the daggers all shot down in an attempt to overwhelm Saber. Caster disengage and allow her magic to bombard Saber as he disappear in a blaze of flame. Of course, Caster knew it won't be enough to stop Saber who possessed magic resistance as a class skill. As she expected, Saber jumped out of the flame without even a slight scratch or burn mark on his armor.
"You damn bitch. You really are a Caster."
Saber said as he saw Sophia already prepared for her next attack as numerous larger flaming blades appear around her. Her sword also began to burn intensely and Saber knows that he should not underestimate Caster even in close range. The Servant of Spell is not ordinary.
Done. This chapter mainly deals with Sophia. Next chapter will be from Noire's side and starts when Sophia woke him up. I've decided to start pairing Noire with both Xenovia and Valerie and set up flags for the others in this arc so the Grail War will develop the trio's relationship. I will do Fiore and the others when they return to DxD (or go there in case of the Servants and Fiore). Sophia's past is slowly revealed and Noire slowly gets to know his mother from the dream cycle. After Noire's side of the story then it will be the big fight. Caster vs Saber and then some more. Archer and Kiritsugu will get their own enemies soon.
Anyway, here is Sophia's stats.
True Name: Sophia Brave
Class: Caster
Master: Shijou Noire
Strength: C+
Endurance: C
Agility: B
Mana: A++
Luck: B
NP: B
Skills
- Item Construction (EX)
- Magic Resistance (B)
- Territory Creation (B+)
- Battle Continuation (C+)
- Positive (B)
- Magecraft (A)
So those are Sophia's Servant stats. That doesn't count her using Reinforcement. A rather impressive Servant but then again a Sorceress is involved in her situation so being outside normal is not that strange. Sophia's Noble Phantasms hadn't been unleashed so I did not write it and when the Grail War arc ended I might write Sophia's stats once again with explanations.
Now for revs.
Guest: This one is the male Arthur from Prototype which changes a little things from Fate Zero. Arthur has better relation with Kiritsugu and they could work together and Arthur knew about the tainted Grail so he didn't resent Kiritsugu. Come to think of it, is there any fic where Kiritsugu summoned the male Arthur? Should made for a much different dynamic than with Arturia.
dragonrider66: I've made a Reality Marble for Issei. Don't forget, Issei came from a different world and he held a Sacred Gear so will the normal rules for formation of a Reality Marble apply to him? Basically, Ddraig's presence accelerate the formation of his Reality Marble. And he can 'boost' the speed of the creation of his Reality Marble anyway. That should be a good idea. And I still haven't thought of any good titles.